Vibrating compaction roller



Sept. 4, 1962 L. o. THRUN 3,052,166

VIBRATING COMPACTION ROLLER Filed May 14, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lawrence 0. Thrun IN VEN TOR.

Sept. 4, 1962 1.. o. THRUN 3,052,166

VIBRATING COMPACTION ROLLER Filed May 14, 1959 4 Sheetsheet 2 Lawrence 0. Thrun INVENTOR.

BY M

Fig. 2

Se t. 4, 1962 1.. o. THRUN 3,

VIBRATING COMPACTION ROLLER 4 SheetsSheet 5 Filed May 14, 1959 Lawrence 0. Thrun INVENTOR.

BY W

Sept. 4, 1962 L. o. THRUN 3,052,166

VIBRATING COMPACTION ROLLER Filed May 14, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 4

Lawrence 0. Thrun IINVENTOR.

BY EMMA WWW 5m United atent Ofice 3,052,166 Patented Sept. 4, 1962 3,052,166 VIBRATlNG COMPACTION ROLLER Lawrence 0. Thrun, R0. Box 64, Pine City, Minn. Filed May 14, 1959, Ser. No. 813,106 4 (Jlaims. (Cl. 94-48) The present invention generally relates to a roller and more particularly to a vibrating compaction roller having novel structural features for more effectively compacting the surface over which the device is rolled while at the same time incorporating further structural features that renders the device long lasting and economical in operation.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a compaction roller generally in the form of a drum carrying a quantity of oil inter-iorly thereof together with driven splash paddles rotatable within the drum which strike the oil for creating an oil mist for lubricating the bearings and at the same causing vibration of the roller or drum for compacting the surface over which the roller is being rolled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vibrating compaction roller in accordance with the preceding object in which the ends of the roller are each supported in a novel spring box supporting assembly which absorbs the vibration action of the roller and causes very little vibration to be transferred from the roll or roller to the frame on which an engine is mounted.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a vibrating compaction roller including a novel drive mechanism including a belt drive assembly having a movable idler on the slack side of the belt for keeping a steady tension on the drive belt at all times and keeping the belts from jurnping and turning as they would do without the idler system.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the compaction roller of the present invention with the engine removed therefrom and illustrating in general the orientation of the components;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the compaction roller;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the details of construction of the compaction roller and the support and driving means therefor;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 illustrating further structural details of the rotatable drum and frame; and

FIGURE 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the structural details of the spring box for journalling the ends of the roller or drum.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the compaction roller of the present invention which includes a framework '12 having a forwardly extending tow bar or tongue 14 connected thereto which may be attached to any suitable towing vehicle such as a truck, tractor or the like. The pivotal part '16 is provided on the tongue and is spring biased to a retracted position by spring 18. Generally, the details of the frame form no spceific part of the present invention but forms a support for the drum or roller generally designated by the numeral 20 and also support for an engine 22 of any suitable conventional consrtuction having a clutch lever 24 on the output thereof which has an output shaft 26 connected through a universal drive shaft 28 to an output shaft 30 having a multi-groove drive pulley 32 thereon receiving drive belts 34 with the pulley and belts being encompassed in la. safety housing 36. The engine 22 is supported by spring mounts 38 for permitting resilient movement of the engine 22 with the scope of movement of the engine 22 being limited by the pivotal tie rod 40 interconnecting the frame and the engine.

The frame 12 includes longitudinal plates 42 which receive and journal the roll 20 which includes a generally cylindrical drum 44 having end plates 46 with each end plate 46 having :a central opening 48 receiving a bearing housing 50 having bearings 52 therein r-otatably journalling an elongated central shaft 54 in the drum 44. The bearing housing 50 is carried by a plate 56 forming a closure for the opening 48 with the plate 56 being held in position by fastener bolts 58. The shaft 54 is reduced and extends through the plate 56 for driving the shaft 54.

The shaft 54 is provided with an extension 60 having a multi-groove driven pulley 61 on the outer end thereof for receiving the power from the V-belts 34 and transmitting the same to the shaft 54. The extension 60 is provided with a thrust bearing assembly 62 to relieve the bearings 52 of axial thrust. The thrust hearing assembly 62 is received in the interior of a spring box 64 carried by the end plates 42. Disposed between the spring box 64 and the thrust bearing assembly 62 is a plurality :of coil springs 66 which cushion the vibration of the roller and prevent its transmission to the frame.

The outer member 68 of the thrust bearing 62 is provided with a plurality of projecting pins 70 received within the coil springs 66. Also, axial thrust is taken up by spring members 72.

The extension shaft 60 and the driven pulley 61 are driven from the V-belts 34 and an adjustable idler roller 74 is provided for the taut side of the V-belts 34 and a swingable idler roller 76 is provided for the slack side of the V-belts 34. The idler 76 is mounted on a trunnion 7 8 so that it can move up and down for keeping a steady tension on the drive belts 34 at all times and keeping the belts from jumping and turning as they would do without the idler rollers 76 and 74. Also, the set of universal joints on the drive shaft 28 as well as the bearings allows the engine to run free of the drive shaft thus eliminating the jerk of the four V-belts from the vibrator shaft to the drive shaft on the power take-off which is a direct drive off of the engine.

The drum 44 having the shaft 54 extending therethr-ough is provided with circular plates 80 thereon with the plates 86 being disposed against shoulders 82 on the shaft 54. Each :of the plates 80 is provided with a pair of spaced plates 84 on the inner surface thereof which defines :a radial groove 86 for receiving a splash paddle or blade 88 which extends radially beyond the plates 80. The blades or paddles 88 are held in position by fastening bolts 90 and have one straight edge 92 and the other edge thereof curved as indicated by the numeral 94. The drum 44 is also provided with a reservoir of transmission oil 96 which in actual practice has been pounds of transmission oil inside the drum which is sealed tight to prevent leakage. The splash paddles and the shaft 54 rotate about 2300 r.p.m. and when the splash paddles strike the oil a vibration will be caused and also an oil mist will be formed which will automatically lubricate the main bearings 52. The power plant is mounted on spring pads and the slight vibration of the frame is well insulated from the engine. The main bearings are preferably spherical roller bearings with brass separators and any heat generated by the bearings is dissipitated into the oil and out onto the drum and then into the air and the ground on which the roller is operating.

The automatic toiling feature of the bearings and the utility of a spring support or suspension for the drum or roller overcome two maintenance problems in this type of machine, that is the replacement or repair of bearings due to faulty lubrication and the replacement of rubber type cushioning or shock absorbers which are not too long lasting. Further, the springs used in suspending the drum provide more action to the roller thereby creating a heavier impact on the ground for faster compaction of the ground surface.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A compaction roller comprising a frame, a cylindrical hollow roller drum rotatably supported on said frame and in rolling contact with a surface to be compacted, a central shaft journaled in said drum, means mounted on the frame and dn'vingly connected with the shaft for powering said shaft, and means on said shaft for causing vibration of the drum upon rotation of the shaft,

'said means carried by said shaft including a circular disk,

radially extending splash paddles rigidly afiixed to the disk, each paddlehaving an arcuate sharp knife-like leading edge, a quantity of oil in said drum whereby the splash paddles will engage the oil when rotating thereby causing vibration of the drum, said shaft being journaled in main bearings in the ends of the drum, said splash paddles engaging the oil causing an oil mist within the drum for lubricating the main bearings, the ends of said shaft being supported from the frame and forming the connection between the frame and the shaft, a thrust bearing on the ends of the shaft, and a spring box receiving the thrust bearing for cushioning axial movement of the shaft and lateral movement of the shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the outer end of the shaft is provided with a V-belt pulley for receiving a V-belt drive from the power source, and an idler pulley engageable with the V-belt on the slack side for main taining the V-bel't in driving condition, said idler pulley being pivoted to said frame by arm and urged by gravity to engagement with the V-belt.

3. A compaction roller assembly in the form of a drum having a quantity of liquid partially filing the drum, a shaft adapted to be rotatably supported on the drum, bearing means rotatably mounting the drum on said shaft, means for driving said shaft, and at least one radially extending relatively thin splash blade having a sharp knife-like leading edge rigidly mounted on said shaft, said blade moving in a circular path and disposed out of the liquid for a major portion of its movement for causing vibration when the blade strikes the liquid, said blade also slicing through said liquid at a relatively high rate of speed whereby a mist is created which lubricates said bearing means.

4. In a compaction roller assembly a drum adapted to be rollingly engaged with the surface to be compacted, a quantity of liquid Within the drum, a rotatable shaft extending through the drum and forming the means for moving the drum along the surface to be compacted, spring means mounted betwen the drum and shaft means drivingly connected with said shaft for rotating the shaft at a relatively high speed in relation to the rotational speed of the drum during its rolling movement with the surface to be compacted, and a radially extending blade mounted on the shaft for engagement with the quantity of liquid in the drum, said blade having a thin and sharp leading edge and having a relatively small circumferential Width in relation to the circumference of the drum, said quantity of liquid filling less than half of the drum whereby the high speed rotating blade will impart vibra tion to the drum for compacting a surface which it engages, the means for rotating the shaft including an engine connected to said frame by spring means and a tie rod pivotally connected between the engine and frame, and a universal joint connected between the engine and rotatable shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,487,343 Kop-f Nov. 8, 1949 2,596,281 OBrien May 13, 1952 2,649,061 Hawkins et al Aug. 18, 1953 2,671,386 Kerridge Mar. 9, '1954 2,812,696 Henry Nov. 12, 1957 2,868,094 Andersson Jan. 13, 1959 2,873,656 Andersson Feb. 17, 1959 2,954,726 Kerridge Oct. 4, 1960 2,967,739 Hofimann Jan. 10, 19611 FOREIGN PATENTS 132,118 Australia Apr. 8, 1949 

